


That's the way it is

by LilyRosePotter



Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 16:26:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15028571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyRosePotter/pseuds/LilyRosePotter
Summary: "Well you know, when you have a relationship like ours, every day is worth celebrating."Five times Dan and Alyssa were mistaken for a couple and one time they weren't.





	That's the way it is

**Author's Note:**

  * For [speakingwosound (sev313)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sev313/gifts).



> For Sev, without whom I wouldn't have finished half these Dan week fics and without whom I wouldn't have even half of these feelings.

**1.**

It’s been a really long day. Dan feels like he’s spent more of it on the phone than not, dealing with four crises at the same time. He hasn’t had a day off since the nomination and he’s starting to feel it.

“No, I understand your position, I just think it’s stupid,” he says sharply into the phone.

“Hey,” a voice says behind him and Dan jumps. “Tell the nice reporter goodbye and come on a snack run with me.”

Dan twists over his shoulder to see Alyssa staring down at him. She took her contacts out at some point and replaced them with oversized glasses so she looks a bit owlish. “I need to-” Dan starts.

“No you don’t.” Alyssa takes the phone from his hand and pulls it to her own ear. “Hey- Oh hi Jeff- Yeah I’m sure… No, no statement from the Senator. Dan and I have to go.” She hangs the phone up with a click.

“What if that was important?” Dan asks rhetorically.

“Look, you making enemies of the press is the delight of your life, I know,” Alyssa retorts, grabbing Dan by the arm and pulling him to his feet. “But it’s not _important_.”

Dan hums in acknowledgement, not that she hears it as she tugs him out the door of the mostly empty HQ. “Where are we _going_?”

“Convenience store downstairs,” Alyssa offers breezily. “This is a week that calls for shitty snacks.”

In the store, Alyssa stalks around the shelves, grabbing just about every unhealthy thing she sees and throwing packages on the growing pile in Dan’s arms.

“Anything else you want?” she asks finally.

“I, ahh, think you’ve got it covered,” Dan says laughing.

“Who says I’m sharing?” Alyssa giggles.

“I mean if you’re going to eat this all, I will be happy to watch,” Dan says, dumping her haul on the counter.

The cashier, a teenage girl who looks bored as hell, rings them up methodically. “Date night?” she asks, unimpressed.

“Oh no we’re not-” Dan starts, but Alyssa wraps an arm around him and leans in giggling.

“Yes, isn’t he so creative?” Alyssa says brightly.

“Mmhmm,” the cashier nods, eyebrows raised skeptically. Alyssa thanks her breezily and bustles out the door while Dan gathers the bags of supplies and nods awkwardly at the cashier.

“Why’d you-” he asks when he joins Alyssa outside.

“I dunno, it was kinda fun,” she shrugs, digging in one of his bags and coming out with a bag of cheetos. She tears it open with a grin. “Perfect.”

 

**2.**

“Look, it’s memorable, that’s all I’m saying.” Lovett is sitting on top of Dan’s desk, gesturing dangerously. Jon laughs behind him, much too happy for the amount of bullshit Dan has had to deal with this week thanks to their speechwriting.

“Alligators,” Dan repeats for what feels like the millionth time. “In a moat.”

“In _the_ moat,” Lovett says pettily.

Jon grimaces apologetically. “It’s what he wanted!” he argues. “It wasn’t even our idea.”

“This was not the headline I wanted this week,” Dan sighs in defeat. Lovett opens his mouth and Dan cuts him off, “yes, yes I know, it’s the headline the President wanted.”

“There will be a day,” Lovett says with a wink, “that you will be wishing for an alligators in the moat headline. And when that day comes, I’m going to need you to call me and grovel.”

“I’ll put it at the top of my to do list,” Dan replies sarcastically. “Now that you’ve done it, let’s talk about-”

“Pfeifferrrr,” Alyssa interrupts, singsong, as she pokes in his office door. “It’s seven-thirty come on.”

“Come where?” Dan asks absently, still thinking about the press briefing tomorrow.

“Dinner,” Alyssa says insistently. “It’s been in your calendar for weeks. I know because I put it there. Now turn off your computer and let the nice speechwriters be and come with me.”

“Aww Alyssa, you think I’m nice?” Lovett flirts while Dan follows Alyssa’s orders and gathers her things.

“Hmm, when you want to be,” she says thoughtfully. “Dan seriously, leave it.”

“Okay okay,” Dan agrees. “Don’t destroy anything while I’m gone,” he warns, letting Alyssa tug him out of his office.

“Enjoy date night,” Jon laughs.

“Not dating!” Alyssa yells over her shoulder, middle finger stretched back at Jon as they leave.

 

**3.**

“You clean up nice,” Alyssa says teasingly.

Lovett flushes, the shiny curves of his cheeks turning five different shades of pink. “I’ll tell you a secret,” he says conspiratorially. “It’s the sleep.”

Alyssa laughs wryly. “So it is,” she says. “But still, you should wear a tux more often, don’t you think Dan?”

“Hmm?” Dan asks. It takes him a second to pull his thoughts back from their dangerous spiral towards the way Lovett’s bowtie is slightly loose around his throat, highlighting the way the skin of his neck ripples when he swallows, the way the flush of Alyssa’s teasing and the copious alcohol at post-inauguration parties ducks down under his collar.

“Formal wear in my everyday life,” Lovett supplies with a grin.

“Yeah, you could,” Dan says. “But I think it might look out of place in the writers’ room, no?”

“You _do_ listen,” Lovett giggles. “Ooh, there are mini quiches being passed I will be _right_ back.”

Alyssa pokes Dan’s side as Lovett turns away. “So, um, are you-?” she starts to ask.

“Not now Alyssa,” Dan says firmly.

She’s always seen right through him but he is not discussing his unfortunate, unreciprocated crush on Lovett right now, in the middle of a party, while Dan is trying to decide whether he should leave the White House on a high note before he’s forced to leave in disgrace; while he’s trying to plot the second term strategy; while Lovett is right there, leaning over a tray.

“Oh-kay,” Alyssa says soft but pointed. She leans into his side affectionately, reaching down to fuss with one of her heels.

“I am not your balance beam,” Dan says, fake grumpy. Alyssa just laughs at him, undeterred.

“My wife hates wearing heels too,” A voice says next to them Dan turns his head to see a newly elected congressman from… California, maybe? watching them interestedly.

Alyssa straightens up, but doesn’t move away from where she’s pressed against his side, posture loosened with alcohol. “Well, you try wearing heels all night and see if you like it,” she says tersely.

The congressman holds up his hands in surrender, “Hey, I’m not judging. I’m impressed,” he smiles, friendly if inauthentic. “How long have you two been together?”

“Oh my god,” Alyssa hisses under her breath. “We’re not together, why does everyone assume we’re-” she snaps.

Dan squeezes her shoulder placatingly as she takes a step away from him. “Just good friends,” Dan says smoothly, used to this by now. “Campaign trail bonds, you know? ”

“Oh I’m so sorry,” the congressman says nervously. “Been a long night you know?”

“It happens,” Dan says tightly. Luckily the congressman seems to pick up on the fact that this conversation isn’t likely to be salvaged tonight, though Dan would shift and network if he had to, and he excuses himself quickly.

“God I just- every single time,” Alyssa mutters, frustrated.

Dan turns to look at her and realizes that Lovett’s returned, plate of appetizers in hand. Lovett’s got a funny look on his face as his eyes dart between them. “I mean, I always kind of wondered,” he ventures.

Alyssa goes stiff as a board. Dan can feel his face twist with annoyance. “Seriously?” Dan asks.

“Yeah I mean…” Lovett wisely doesn’t finish that sentence, likely warned off by the looks on their faces.

“My god Lovett, of all people,” Alyssa starts. Lovett grimaces, apologetic but she’s already going. “Men and women can’t ever just be friends with nothing more, hm? You know what a bullshit, patriarchal assumption that is?”

“Alyssa, I-” Lovett starts.

“It’s the same fucking shit that keeps women from accessing positions of power,” she snaps over him. “All about making women only useful insofar as they’re sexually available to men.”

“I’m _sorry_!” Lovett says sharp and loud. Alyssa scoffs at him and walks away towards the bar. “Fuck.”

“It’s also frustrating as hell when you hear it all the time,” Dan adds quietly. “That anger wasn’t really for you, she’ll get over it. But... you really thought?”

Lovett breathes out slow and deep. “I never _thought_ , but I did wonder a bit. I think everyone has. And I _know_ it’s shitty but-” He shrugs.

Dan nods in wry understanding. He gets it, even if he hates it. The amount of times he’s had this exact conversation, with or without Alyssa present is… uncountable. So he just says patiently but firmly, “There is not, nor has there ever been any romantic or sexual interest between me and Alyssa. We’re just, as she says, platonic soulmates.”

“Okay,” Lovett says, suddenly looking much cheerier. “I will never ask or wonder again.”

Dan rolls his eyes affectionately. “Good.”

 

**4.**

“I’m not that hungry, she said. I don’t want an appetizer, she said,” Dan says as Alyssa reaches over with her fork for the third time. This is exactly what he expected to happen when they sat down and she pointed out her favorite thing on the menu before swearing she didn’t want any.

“Shut up, it looked too good,” Alyssa giggles. Dan rolls his eyes fondly and pushes the plate to the middle of their table.

“So what are we celebrating tonight?” their server asks as he returns to the table. “Anniversary? Birthday?”

Dan raises his eyebrows at Alyssa and she giggles and reaches for his hand across the table. “Well you know, when you have a relationship like ours, every day is worth celebrating,” she coos in an over the top voice.

Dan shakes his head affectionately and frees his hand from her grip. “She’s in town for her book tour,” he informs the server proudly. “New York Times Bestseller over here.”

“Oh congratulations!” he says, face a little pink with what might be embarrassment. “Are you ready to order?”

“Still waiting on one more,” Dan says ruefully. “I am informed he’s in an Uber though,” he adds, lifting his phone.

“Probably got lost in the airport ‘cause he was too busy looking at Twitter,” Alyssa mutters as the server walks away. Lovett should have been here at least half an hour ago, but- it’s Lovett.

“It’s rush hour,” Dan says easily. “You’re supposed to be grateful he’s coming up to see you, not mean to him about his tardiness.”

“It’s not me he’s coming to see,” Alyssa says meaningfully. Dan flushes under her stare. “You ever going to do something about that?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dan says primly.

Alyssa is opening her mouth to respond when Lovett appears behind her and drops into the booth next to her with a grin. “San Francisco is a hellish place, how do you _live_ here Dan?” he whines. He switches gears before Dan can respond. “How is my favorite bestseller?”

“Better now that you’re here,” Alyssa promises.

“I thought Tommy was coming?” Lovett says inquisitively. “Ooh calamari!”

“By all means,” Dan sighs as Lovett reaches out for the plate. “Hanna got tied up at work but they might try to meet us for drinks later. Otherwise, they'll be at the event tomorrow.”

“Cool,” Lovett mumbles around the food in his mouth, eyes sparkling at Dan across the table. He swallows and then kicks at Dan’s ankle under the table, “So I have a bone to pick with you about last week’s episode,” he says ominously.

Dan laughs and leans back against the booth. “Shoot.”

 

**5.**

“Here are your keys, we hope that the two of you enjoy your stay, and please don’t hesitate to let us know if you need anything,” the hotel clerk says, holding out the envelope to Alyssa.

Alyssa passes it to Dan with a laugh, “Oh I’m not staying, I’m just the tag-a-long best friend.”

“The boyfriend is buying coffee,” Dan says, still delighted, months later, by the way the word rolls off his tongue.

The clerk smiles politely at them, clearly uninterested in their personal lives, which, fair. Dan slings an arm around Alyssa’s shoulders as they walk across the lobby towards the Starbucks.

“I’m still annoyed you’re not staying with me,” she grumbles.

“Lovett is of the belief that when my publisher is going to pay for a fancy hotel, we stay in the fancy hotel,” Dan says patiently, for what feels like the hundredth time. “Plus, you’re going to be with us all weekend and it’ll be just you and me in DC next month,” he offers.

“True,” Alyssa says amiably. “And you probably need the privacy before you do your tour nonsense this weekend. God, _Nashville_ ,” she grimaces.

“I might buy a cowboy hat,” Lovett says, holding out cups for each of them and leading the way across the lobby.

“Please do _not_ ,” Alyssa tells him. “I’ll disown you.”

Lovett shrugs. “Dan would still love me.”

“Of course,” Dan says, too serious. They both laugh at him. “I don’t think it would be your best look though.”

“I will,” Alyssa mock whispers, “pay you fifty bucks for a picture of Dan in a cowboy hat.”

“Deal,” Lovett says happily. Dan rolls his head back in exasperation and follows them into the elevator.

 

**+1**

“Just think,” Alyssa whispers in Dan’s ear, setting a hand on his trembling shoulder. “This may be the one day of our friendship that no one will mistake us for a couple.”

Dan laughs quietly, twisting his fingers together nervously. “True. Hopefully there’ll be another in the not so distant future though.”

“You know?” Lovett calls over his shoulder, turning to glare at them. “When you said, ‘Hey Lovett, let’s do an escape room while I’m in town, I want to see what all this fuss is about,’ I expected that you’d _participate_ Alyssa. I’m used to carrying _his_ weight, but I’m disappointed in you.”

“You’re just so good at it,” Dan says with a smile, breathing slowly to calm his twisting stomach as he crosses the room to set a hand on Lovett’s hip.

Lovett grins at him. “Flattery will get you everywhere,” he says, leaning back to kiss Dan’s cheek before turning back to the last puzzle.

Dan looks back at Alyssa, who’s pulled her camera from her purse and nods at him with a smile.

“Done! No thanks for your help guys,” Lovett says as he cracks the puzzle. He punches the code into the safe. “Wait that’s not the key,” he says, confused as he sees the tiny box the staff had hidden at Dan’s request.

Dan takes one last breath and slides to his knee, hearing Alyssa’s camera click behind them. Lovett looks down at him, face open and surprised. Dan can see the moment he realizes, because delight floods his features.

“Dan,” he whispers.

“Jon Lovett,” Dan says carefully, just like he’d practiced in Alyssa’s hotel room mirror this morning. “Will you help me solve puzzles for the rest of our lives?”

Lovett laughs. “Cheesy,” he says. His grin gives him away though as he bends to pull Dan to his feet. “Yes, of course I will.”


End file.
